Thursday 26 February 2009

Virtual Tonsure

I thought it was interesting to see the Holy Father placing ashes on the spot where the young deacon would have been tonsured if he had actually been tonsured. This is the traditional custom for clerics: I and my parish deacon observe it, though neither of us have been tonsured (except by the years, alas).

3 comments:

Fr Ray Blake said...

Ashes are given in Italy and other European countries to everyone, lay or cleric, in this manner and, I believe, always has been.

Fr John Hunwicke said...

Father, I am missing your ever-elegant posts.

I hope fluency soon returns.

Pastor in Monte said...

Thank you: alas I find myself rather pressed at the moment. Hopefully things will quieten down eventually.